Elevator leveling device



Sept 1949.

A. E. THURBER, JR

ELEVATOR LEVELING DEV I CE Filed June 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet} 27 I uu,

ZASLZQG Sept, 1949. A. E. THURBER, JR

ELEVATOR LEVELING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1945 Sept. 6 1949.. A. E. THURBER, JR

ELEVATOR LEVELING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 19, 1945 p 1949. A. E. THURBER, JR 2,481,260

ELEVATOR LEVELING DEVICE Filed June 19, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan/ fiffornegs Patented Sept. 6, 1 949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELEVATOR LEVELING DEVICE Adolph Edward Thurber, J r., Brooklyn, N. Y. Application June 19, 1945, Serial No. 600,341

tric control means for hydraulic elevators.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a leveling device to bring the car to a stop level with the floor landing with a higher average of speed, and maintain the car level with the landing during loading and unloading.

Another object is to supply electric means including stationary cams in the elevator shaft which control the actuation of switches, and

which in turn is controlled by a torque motor, so that the switches can only be operated when arms carried by the elevator are in a position to engage the cams. Thus if the car control lever,

which also controls the torque motor, is :put in a neutral position between floors, no current can pass through said switches, and consequently valves controlled by said switches will not be actuated to disturb the position of the car between floors.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of the apparatus with certain parts omitted in the interest of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch box and torque motor of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the switch box.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the switch box. taken at right angles to the section in Fig. 3 and showing the switch in open position.

Fig. 5 is a view like Fig. 4 but showing the switch closed.

- Fig. 6 is a similar view with'the switch in recarrying the car l2 operates. 13

haust l6. I1 is an automatic valve of conventional construction, and i8 is the to-and-from pipe connecting it to the top of the cylinder Ill.

The auxiliary device for bringing the car back to the floor when it has dropped below includes a-pressure pipe I9 tapped from supply 15 and 55 its slot will cause the rod 5i (3011. 56 and more the connected to valve casing 20 containing a reciprocating plug, not shown. This supply pressure passes from valve casing 20 through pipe 2|, and the automatic valve, to to-and-from pipe 18. The stem of the valve 2! is actuated by a solenoid 22, controlled by means hereinafter described.

A similar mechanism is provided for the exhaust side to bring the car back to the floor when it has ascended above and it comprises an exhavst pipe 23, exhaust valve casing 24, and exhaust pipe 25, leading to to-and-from :pipe l8. This valve is also actuated by a solenoid 26 by means hereinafter described.

2'! is a filter in supply pipe is, and 28 is a similar filter in exhaust pipe 25. 29 and 30 are manually adjustable valves for controlling the rate of flow in the respective supply and exhaust pipes l9-2| and 23-25 to determine the speed of returning the car to level position, or to entirely out off flow through electrically operated valves 2%, 24.

The valves 26, 24 are similarly constructed, and each may be of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,633,217.

Fixedly mounted in the elevator shaft at each floor is an abutment means comprising a pair of cams 3i and 32 which are spaced apart and arranged one above the other, and designed to actuate respectively extensible and retractable members or arms 33 and 34 or the solenoid valve control means, when such arms are in projected position.

Mounted at the top of the car (Fig, 6) is a switch casing 35 (Figs. 2-6) provided at the intericr of one wall with sets of contacts, one set consisting of four contacts 36, 31, 38 and 39, (Fig. 1) and'the other set consisting of contacts 40, M, 42 and 53. The contacts 36 to 39, inclusive, cooperate with a bridge piece 44 carried by a switch arm 45, and the contacts 40 to 43, inclusive, cooperate with a bridge piece 56 carried by a switch arm 41. These arms are of similar construction and are pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon a shaft 48 forming part of a bail, having sides 49 pivotally mounted on a shaft 50, journaled in the casing. Each switch arm is connected by a switch-opening tension spring 5|, to a bracket 52 fixed in the casing and each bracket supports a screw 53 to limit the movement of the bridge piece away from the contacts.

A rocking lever 54%, fixed to a rock shaft is provided with an arcuate notch or slot 56 for the reception of a rod 5? having its ends he sides of the bail, and it may be rocking lever is moved in a clockv bail in a clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 50 to place the switch bridge pieces 44 and 46 in a retired position (Fig. 6).

Each of the arms 45, 4'! is provided with a tail 58 cooperating with a roller 59 supported by an upstanding arm 60 of a multi-armed lever. One of these levers (Fig. 3) is keyed to a rocking member or rock shaft 6|, journaled in the casing and fixed to the lever 34 which cooperates with the stationary cam 32'. The other one of the multi-arme'd levers is fixed to a rocking member to rock sleeve 62, journaled on the shaft El and carrying the lever 33 which cooperates with the cam 3|.

Each of the multi-armed levers has an arm 63 cooperating with a compression spring 61 mounted on the floor of the casing and functioning to yieldingly hold the multi-armed lever in a position where its roller 59 is not pressing against the tail 58 of one of the levers 45, 41'. Another arm 65 of each multi-armed lever is arranged to abut against an adjustable screw 66- secured to: the bottom of the casing. The springs 64 urge the arms 65 toward the adjustable stops 68, and normally hold the arms 33- and 34 projectedso they will engage the cams 3-! and 32.

Rollers 67 supported by arms 68 depending from and fixed to the shaft 55, abut against the arms 63 of the multi-armed levers for depressing those arms when the arms or levers 33- and 34 are to be moved to aneutral position where they will not contact the cams 31 and 32, as the elevator moves in the hatchway.

An arm 69 is fixed to one endof the shaft 55 and arranged at the exterior of the casing. 35-, and is connected by a link 70' to the crank :i ofa torque motor i2, mounted. on a bracket 53 (Fig. 2) at the exterior of the casing. The arm 65 is also connected to the piston rod '14 of a dash:- pot 15.

As shown. in Fig. 1, the torque motor is: controlled by a switch 76 actuated by alever Tl that moves with the main control handle in the car of the elevator. When the member TI is in neutral position, the switch 15 is open and the torque motor is de-energized. When, however, the control member 'l-l' moves either toone side or the other, about its axis 18, the switch 16- will close and cause the torque motor to be energized so that it in turn will effect the retraction of the arms 33 and 3 1 so those arms will not contact with any of the cams 31 and 32 as the elevator travels in the hatchway.

Referring to the wiring diagram shown in-Fig. 1, it will be noted: that the contacts 31 and 39'lead to the solenoid. 25 of the down valve 24, and the contacts 36- and 38" lead to the line wires 1 9 and 80. Gonsequently, when the bridge piece 44 closes this switch, the solenoid 26 will be energized to open valve 24 to dischargeliquid: from cylinder I and causethe elevator to descend.

The contacts 4i and 43 lead to the solenoid: 22 of theup valve 29 and the contacts 50 and. 42 lead to the line wires. Therefore, when the-bridge piece 46 closes this switch, the valve 20- will be opened to admit liquid to cylinder It will thus be appreciated that whenthe elevator is to be stopped at a floor level, and if the descends therebelow, the cam 32 will cause the bridge piece 45 to close its switch and operate valve to cause pressure fluid to flow through pipe !8 into the main cylinder Ill until the car is brought to the floor level. On the other hand, if the car at the time it is supposed to stop at a floor level, is slightly above this level, the cam 31 4 will actuate the bridge 44 so as to energize the solenoid 26 and open the valve 24 to permit pressure fluid to exhaust from the cylinder ID until the car descends to the desired level.

Whenever the main controller of the car is in a position to cause ascent or descent of the car, it is obvious that the closed switch 16 will cause the torque motor to be energized so that the rocking lever 54 will lift the rod 51 and retire the switch arms to the" position shown in Fig. 6, and also cause the multi-armed levers to shift to a position where the arms 33 and 34 will be substantially in vertical alignment and out of position where they would contact with the cams 3! and 32.

From the foregoing, it is believed the construction, operation and advantages of the leveling device maybe readily understood and it will be evident to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the details disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I. claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. amechanism for controlling the floor leveling of an elevator, a switch arm including a tail, a movable bail pivotally supporting said switch arm, rigid means onsaid bail, a swingable arm for normally engaging said tail. to move the switch arm to a, switch closing position, a rockable lever, and means carried by the rockabl e lever cooperating with-- said rigid means for shiftin; said ballto position said tail out of the path of movement of said swingable arm.

2. In a floor leveling control mechanism for an elevator, a switch arm, swingable means pivotally supporting. said switch arm, a swingable arm fbr normally engaging. and moving theswitch arm to a switch closing position, a movable lever, a pin carried by said means, and a cam surface carried by said movable lever for shifting said means to a. position where the switch armcannot be engaged said-swingable arm.

In a self-leveling mechanismfor an elevator car movable in a hatchway, an electrically operated valve, a. switch carried by said car for controlling the supply of current to and the shutting off of current from the valve, a swingable member, a switch arm mounted for pivotal movement on said member, a lever adapted to engage said arm for moving the switch into closed posi tion,. a rocking. member for actuating the lever, a movable member operatively connected to the rocking member, abutment means mounted in said hatchway adapted to actuate the movable member asthe latter moves relatively to: the abutment means, and means for movingthe movable memberinto a position where it cannot engage the abutment meansand for moving the switch arm into a position where it cannot be a luatedb-y said lever.

4. In a leveling device for an elevator car movable in. ahatchway, an electrically controlled valve, a switch carried by the elevator car and controlling said valve, said switch including a switchswi-nga-ble means supporting said switclr arm, a multi-armed-lever arranged tonormal-ly engage the switch arm for closing: the

vswitch,spring means. normally holding the multi armlever in.- one position, a movable member actuarted by said mu lti-armed lever, a substantially stationary cammounted in the hatchway adapted to be engaged by said movable member when the latter is: in a projected position and moves with the elevator car past the cam, and means for moving said swingable means to a position where the switch arm cannot be engaged by the multi-armed lever and for moving the multiarmed lever against the action of said spring to shift said movable member to a position where it cannot engage the cam.

5. In a leveling device for an elevator car movable in a hatchway, an electrically controlled valve, a switch carried by the elevator car and controlling said valve, said switch including a switch arm, swingable means supporting said switch arm, a multi-armed lever arranged to engage the switch arm for closing the switch, spring means normally holding the multi-arm lever in one position, a movable member actuaated by said lever, a substantially stationary cam mounted in the hatchway arranged to be engaged by said movable member when the latter is in a projected position and moves with the elevator car past the cam, and means for moving the swingable means to a position where the switch arm is out of the path of movement of said multi-armed lever and for moving the multiarmed lever against the action of said spring and shifting said movable member to position where it cannot engage the cam.

6. In a floor leveling control mechanism for an elevator, means mounted for swinging move-- ment, a switch arm mounted for pivotal movement on said swingable means, a movable arm for normally engaging and moving the switch arm to an operable position, a movable lever having a cam shaped slot therein, means carried by the swingable means extending into said slot, and means for moving said lever to shift said swingable means and the switch arm to a position where the switch arm cannot be engaged by said movable arm.

7. In a floor leveling control mechanism for an elevator car, a switch arm, a bail including side members, means supporting said bail for swinging movement, means supporting said switch arm for movement on said bail, a movable arm mounted to normally engage the switch arm and move the same to an operative position, a, lever having a cam shaped slot therein, and a pin carried by the side members of said bail extending into said cam shaped slot whereby the bail is moved to position the switch arm out of the path of the movement of said arm upon movement of said lever.

8. In a floor leveling mechanism for an elevator car which is movable in a hatchway, swingable means, a switch arm mounted for pivoting movement on said swingable means, a movable arm for normally engaging and moving the switch arm to an operative position, a lever, means cooperating with said lever and said swingable means for shifting the switch arm to a position outside the path of said arm, a cam mounted in said hatchway, a movable member operatively connected to said arm and adapted to normally engage said cam, a torque motor, and means between the torque motor and said arm for moving the movable member to a position outside the path of said cam.

ADOLPH EDWARD THURBER, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,175,279 Loguin Mar. 14, 1916 1,352,742 Furlow Sept. 14, 1920 1,391,809 Van Valkenburg Sept. 27, 1921 1,513,531 Boyce Oct. 28, 1924 1,648,741 Perry Nov. 8, 1927 1,893,046 Austin Jan. 3, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 286,268 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1928 

